Latch



S. P. GEHRET. LATCH. APPLICATION mm ocr. 4. m2o.

1,415,871, Patented May 16,1922..

SAMUEL P. GEHRET, OFF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1922.

Application :tiled `October 4. 1920.` Serial No. 414,641.2.

To 0,77, fwlmm 'it may cri/:iijcan:

Bc it lniownthat Santina P. Garnier, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches; and l `do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description oftheinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains, to malte and use the same. y i v This invention relates `to an improved latch which is especially, although `not necessarily, designed` for use on automobile doors, the primary object of the invention being to provide a neat, practical latch for automobile doors which is such that it overcomes the necessity ofcutting away or mortising the door in order to attach it, which method is very objectionable since it weakens the door, and` is very expensive because it necessitates the use of a heavy door in cases where the latter must be mortised for application of the latch.

Another andimportant object of the invention is to provide a latch which is such that it is `adapted for use on either doors',`

which open to the leftor to the right, regardless of Whether they open forwardly or rearwardly, this `being permitted because of the fact that the operating lever is inter` changeable.

.A further object of the invention is to genl erally improve upon devicesof this class by producing one of extreme simplicity and du rability, which consists of comparatively few` parts whichare so constructed and arranged that rattling is prevented and eifectiveness of operation insured.

Other objects and advantages of the in-i vention will be apparent during the course of the following description ln the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication, in which like nu merels are employed to designate like parts throughout the same: i

`Figure l a perspective view of a portion of an automobile door showing my improved latch in position thereon. i y

Figure 2 isa' sectional view taken on' the plane of the line 2--2 of Fig. l., looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is a perspective lView of a latch constructed in accordance with my invention, the cover member being removed to disclose lnore clearly the latch mechanism.

the base plate.

liigure 4 is a detail perspective view of said cover member'.

Referring to the drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is clearly disclosed,it will be seen that the numeral l designates, as a whole, a casing `which is adapted to be placed against one side of a door and secured in position. This casing in its preferred form includes a base plate 2 and a recessed cover plate or mem ber 3 which 1s fitted against the base plate `to form a novel casing for the latch mechanism to behereinafter described. It is to be noted that the cover member 3 has its rear wall and side walls spaced from the cor responding edges of the base plate, and the uncovered p'ortions of the latter constitute attaching flanges 4, these being apertured for the passage of suitable fastenings therethrough. jAt this point, l wish to state that the cover `member may be secured to the base plate in any suitable way. In the, showing however, the base plate is provided with slots 5 and the cover member is provided with integral tongues 6` which extend throughfand are secured in these slots. At tention is directed to the fact that the front wall of the member 3 is slotted, and this front wall, `when in position, extends lat orally beyond thebase plate and this extended portion constitutes an additional at taching flange `7, this ange being also apernieufiber and base plate together.`

The latch mechanism within the casing includes a slidable locking bolt which is provided at its outer end with a beveled head 9 projectable through the slot in the front wall of: the casing, and at its inner endewith an abutment l0 bearing against said base plate and apair of oppositely disposed laterally extending arms 1l which are offset with respect to the longitudinal center ofthe bolt in order to space them from The combined length of the slidably against the inner face et' the cover 3. "The intermediate portion oi the locking bolt is spaced from the base plate and an operating lever 18 is ulcrumed on the base plate and extends transversely across thelatter through the space between the locking bolt and said` base plate,it being adapted to be brought against the abutment 10 for the rpurpose of withdrawing the locking bolt to permit the door to be opened. In order to automatically project the locking bolt and .retain'it in position for operation, I make use of a pair of coiled springs 14, these springs being preferably provided at their opposite ends with attaching eyes and the eyes at one of the ends being connected to the endsrof said arms 11 while the eyes at the opposite ends are arranged in seats formed in the laterally extending tongues 15 with which the base plate is provided. I wishto mention at this point that the ful` crum pin which serves to connect the operating handle 0r lever 13 to the base plate "isvsuch that it permits the lever to be dcytached and reversed as `shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that my device to be ell'ectively lused on doors which open to the left orto the fright and at the same time permit the opy erating handle to extend above the upper edge of the door for convenient operation.

Emphasis is to be laid on the particular r'constructim of the locking bolt because of H'the fact that it is provided with portions which contact the inner surfaces of the base plate and cover in'such a way as to insure "that the head 9 will always be in effective position for projection through the slot through which it slides. Furthermore, this particular construction of locking bolt insures against rattling. Then again, the infclined coiled springs when associated with this particular construction of locking bolt have a tendeILCy to cause the points 1 2 te bear against vthe inner surface of the cover plate 3. It'follows also that the labutment 10 is caused to bear against the l base plate.

TI-Iencgit will be seen that this construction is extremely desirable and substantial and @that it insures eiectiv'eness of operation -a-nd overcomes rattling.

I again wish to emphasize the fact that 'the particular construction of the casing 'which I employ enables me to apply my latch "on one side of a door and ovbviate .the

`necessity of cutting and mortising the doei' as is ordinarily done 'with most devices with .which I am`r familiar. Furthermore, the manner in which l connect (he operating` handle with the base plaie casing enables me to reverse the position ol the operating handle to permit the device lo be effectively used on either doors which open to the right or to the lett. These and other advantages and features ol' my device have, no doubt, become apparent lrom the l'oregoing description.

lVliile I have shown and described 1n improved latch lor use on automolgiile doors. I wish it to be understood that it is not lo be restricted to this particular purpose. since it may be eHiectively used on man v other constructions of closures.

A careful consideration oi' the foregoing` description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, will enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention relates, to obtain a clear understanding of its operation and application of my improved latch. I n view ot this. a more lengthy description is dcen'ied unnecessary.

Advantageous and effective results are iusured with the foregoing construction and arrangement, and for this reason. this construction and arrangement is taken as the preferred embodiment oit my invention. However, I wish it to be understood that various minor changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim.:

1. A device ol'Y the class described coniprising a mechanism casing inchidinar a. base plate for disposition against one side of the door. and a recess cover plate connected to the base plate, said cover plate being provided with a relatively wide slotted 'front 'wall extending laterally beyond said base plate, this front wall providing an attaching {iange and beingv designer'l to bc disposed against the front vertical edge oli the door so as to serve the additional function ot a wear plate, and a locking mechanism disposed in said casing, inclu-ding a bolt projectable through the slot in said attaching flange.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing including a base plate for disposition against 'one side of a door and a recessed cover member resting against the base plate, having its side walls spaced trom the edges of the latter, whereby the uncovered parts of said base plate constitute attaching iianges, said cover member being provided with a relatively wide slotted trent wall extending laterally beyond said base plate, this front wall providing an additional attaching flange and being adapted vfor disposition against the forward vertical edge of the door and being apertured for passage of fasteninga and 'latch means in the casing including a bolt projectable through the slot in said front Wall.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing composed of an apertured base plate and a recessed cover plate, the front Wall of which is slotted, extended laterally beyond said base and apertured, thus forming an attaching' flange, said base plate being provided on its forward edge with an extension passing through the aforesaid slot, said extension being of a Width to approximately the same as the slot; and latch mechanism in the casing including a bolt also projecting through said slot.

4. In a latch, a casing, a slidable bolt provided at its outer end with a head pro]ect ing through a slot in the casing, at its inner end with oppositely extending laterally disposed arms, and intermediate its ends with an abutment, coiled springs anchored at one of their ends to the casin and connected at their op osite ends to sai arms, and an operating ever fulcrumed in the casing, passing beneath the bolt and engaging said abutment.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, said arms being offset from the longitudinal een ter of the bolt to space them fromA the inner face of the base of the casing and carrying flat Contact points bearing against the inner surface of the casing cover.

6. A latch comprising a base plate having lateral tongues at one of its ends, said tongues including seats. a sli dable bolt pro vided at its outer end with a head, and at its inner end with an abutment resting against the base plate and oppositely dis y posed laterally extending offset arms spaced,

from the plate and carrying fiat faced lugs, coiled springs having eyes at their ends con-1- nected to the ends of said arms and arranged in the aforesaid seats, serving to normally project the aforementioned head beyond the plate, an operating lever pivoted on said plate, extending transversely across the same beneath the bolt and engaging said abutment, and a cup-shaped slotted cover, said lugs bearing slidably against the inner face of this cover.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL P. GEHRET. 

